Apparatus for the recovery of precious metals



APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF PRECIOUS METALS Feb. 6, 1962 R. w. RADCLIFFE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR. ROBERT W RADQLI FFE ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1962 R. w. RADCLIFFE 3,019,899

APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF PRECIOUS METALS Filed Dec. 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. RADCLIFFE VAL' 51 Feb. 6, 1962 R. w. RADCLIFFE 3,019,899

APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF PRECIOUS METALS Filed Dec. 17, 1959 4 SheetsSheet 5 H I 'll o "l- 23 I05 50 n E u F 5| m; INVENTOR.

ROBERT W. RADCLIFFE ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1962 R. w. RADCLIFFE 3,019,899

APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF PRECIOUS METALS Filed Dec. 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. RADCLI FFE AT TORNEYS United States Patent 3,019,399 AIEARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF FRECIOUS METALS Robert Ward Radcliffe, 356 Union St. NE., Salem, Greg. Filed Dec. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 860,145 1 Claim. (Cl. 209-435) This invention relates to an apparatus for recovering precious metals, and more particularly gold, silver, or the like, from sands, grit or gravel formations.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for imparting to a separating pan a series of movements conforming exactly to the conventional movements employed in panning gold by hand.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of this in vention, it may be here pointed out that in the panning of gold by hand the operator agitates the pan which contains the grit or gravel from which the precious metal is to be separated by rotative movement about a vertical axis. From time to time the pan is'then rocked about a horizontal axis to dump excess material which has been treated from the pan. This has been'found to be the most eifective motion in separating precious metal from the sand, grit or gravel. In such hand panning a supply of water must be added to the material from time to more particularly to FIGURES l, 4 and 5, there is generally indicated at a supporting frame member which comprises a base frame 21 of generally rectangular configuration, from the corners of which extend upwardly and inwardly inclined supporting members 22. The members 22 support the corners 23 of a top supporting frame 24, which is also rectangular in configuration.

Extending upwardly and inwardly from the corners of base frame 21 are intermediate frame members 25', which intersect at substantially the center of top frame 24, and support a block member 26. Suitable fastening elements '27 of any desired conventional type are provided for securing the block to the upper ends of the members 25.

Block 26 has a central semi-spherical socket 2'8, with in which is mounted a ball 29 which is secured to the lower end of a rod 30. The rod 30 is secured to a hereinafter.

time. A primary object of this invention is the provision of apparatus which will impart exactly the above described movements to a pan, and at the same time supply water thereto as needed.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a device which is highly effective in separating gold or silver, or the like, from sands bearing the same, with a minimum of effort and difficulty and a high degree of recovery.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, one form of apparatus embodying the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially .along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the separating pan of the instant invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the center line of the pan of FIG- URE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of a portion of the pan as shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective View taken from the underside of the platform supporting the separating pan; and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view taken from the underside of the pan, showing certain associated operating elements.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, and

Plate 32 carries on its upper surface a plurality of radially disposed brackets 33, each. of which carries a roller 34, the rollers serving as supports for the bottom of a pan, generally indicated at 35. The underside of pan 35 is provided with a rail 36 which engages closely about the periphery of rollers 34 so as to retain the pan in position thereon for oscillatory movement thereover in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

As best shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, the bottom of pan 35 is partially covered by a rifile screen 37, beneath which is positioned a cloth 38 of a type to which precious metal passed through the rifile screen is adapted to adhere. The screen and cloth cover approximately onehalf the pan, as best shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, and are secured in position by hold-down bars 39 which extend transversely across the pan, and are mounted in supports 49 on opposite sides of the pan.

Means are provided for imparting oscillatory motion to'the pan 35, and take the form of an arm 45, which includes an offset portion and a vertically extending portion 46, the arm being secured to the underside of the pan adjacent an edge thereof, as indicated at 47. The vertical portion 46 of the arm is secured to a pin 48, which in turn is secured to a connecting rod'49, the opposite end of which is pivoted as at 50 to a crank pin which is' mounted on a rotatable disc 51. The disc 51 is mounted on a shaft 52 which is journalled in bearings 53 carried by the upper frame member 24. Shaft 52 carries a sprocket 54 which is driven by a chain '55. Chain 55 extends downwardly to a sprocket 56 which is mounted on a lower shaft 57 carried by journals 58 which are mounted on transverse portions 59 of lower or base frame 21.

The shaft 57 is driven by a worm gear 60 which in turn is driven by a gear 61 mounted on a shaft 62 extending transversely to shaft 57. Gears 6t} and 61 are contained in a gear housing 63 carried by lower frame 21. Shaft 62 is mounted at its other end in a journal 63A carried by a frame member 64 comprising a portion of lower frame 21, and carries a sprocket 65 about which extends a chain 66. Chain 66 engages a sprocket 67 which is carried by a shaft 68 which extends through journals 69 carried by opposite sides of up er frame 24. The outer ends of shaft 68 are provided with cam wheels 70, upon each of which is mounted an offset cam portion 71, the two cam portions 71 being positioned at an angle of degrees relative to each other. Plate 32 is adapted to rest on cam wheels or discs 70, and is held in position relative thereto by means of a pair of relatively heavy coil springs 72, which are connected as at 73 to projection 74 extending outwardly from the periphery of plate 32. At their opposite ends the springs 72 are connected as at 75 to projecting portions 76 mounted on lower frame 21.

It will thus be seen that the cam Wheels 70 and their associated cams 71 are rotated by means of worm gear 60 and drive gear 61 at a much slower speed than is the disc 51, the arrangement obviously being such that the pan 35 is oscillated over the rollers 34 several times before one of cam members 71 acts on the underside of pan 35 to tilt the same.

Shaft 57, and hence shaft 62, are driven by means of a suitable sprocket mounted on the end of shaft 57 opposite worm gear 60 and indicated in dotted lines at 75. Sprocket 75' is, in turn, driven through a chain 76' which is driven by a sprocket 77 which is mounted on a shaft 78. Sprockets 75 and 77 and chain 76 are contained in a housing 79. The shaft 78 extends through a speed changing gear box 80 and is in turn connected to a shaft 81, the outer end of which carries a pulley S2. Pulley 82 is driven by means of a belt 83, which in turn is driven by a pulley 84 mounted on the drive shaft 35 of an electric motor 86 of any suitable size and capacity. A control member 87 is positioned on the gear box 30 for regulating the speed of the apparatus.

A material feeding chute 90 having a lower lip 91 is mounted directly above pan 35, the lip 91 extending inwardly of the upper rim of the pan 35 at a point adjacent its upper inclined edge, or the uppermost portion of rifiie screen 37. The trough is carried by a pair of oppositely disposed vertical supports 92, which are secured at their lower end to lugs 93 extending laterally from the sides of plates 32.

Additional supporting legs 94 are adjustably mounted in brackets 95 carried by the supporting members 74', and include laterally extending arms 96 from which depend the brackets 97 which are secured to the sides of chute 90.

A suitable water supply pipe 93 extends transversely over the top of chute 90 for the purpose of supplying water to the sand or gravel supplied to pan 35, and is supplied with water from any desired source, not shown.

A transverse bar 99 extends over the top ofpan 35 from the tops of supporting uprights 92, and is provided with laterally extending arms 100, upon which are mounted cross bars 101. Each of the cross bars 101 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart pivotally mounted fingers 102 which overlie the edge of pan 35, and serve to agitate the sand and gravel so that the heavier precious metals will settle to the bottom of the pan and also prevent the precious metals from being washed out of the pan when the pan is tilted about its horizontal axis by means of the cam 71.

Upper support frame 24 carries on opposite sides thereof a pair of extending support members 105 which, in turn, carrying uprights 106 which support a semicircular housing 107 having an upper inwardly inclined rib 108, the housing 107 being adapted to surround the lower inclined portion of the pan 35. The bottom 109 of housing 107 is inclined, as best shown in FIGURE 1, and terminates in an outlet pipe 110, through which water and sand or gravel from which the precious metals have been extracted may exit from the apparatus.

From the foregoing the use and operation of the apparatus should now be readily understandable. Precious metal bearing sand or gravel or the like is fed to the chute 90 and supplied with water through the tube 98. The motor 86 is started, which through the shaft and belt drive arrangement previously described, causes rotation of the disc 51, which in turn through lever 45 oscillates the pan 35 about a vertical axis and in a substantially horizontal Plane over rollers 34. Simultaneously, the cam Wheels 70 are rotated, and the cams 71 intermittently tilt the pan in the direction of the outlet 110, raising first one side and then the other side, the ball and socket joint 28-29 permitting substantially universal movement of the pan.

This combined motion separates the precious'rnetal from the sand or gravel, and causes the same to fall through the riffle screen 37 and adhereto the recovery cloth 38. As the precious metals are exhausted from the material fed to the device, it is washed out into the housing 107 and outwardly through the opening 110. By virtue of the motion above described, a most efficient separation of material is achieved.

It will thus be seen that there is herein provided an improved apparatus for separating precious metals from material bearing the same, which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

An apparatus for separating precious metals from sand, gravel or the like comprising a supporting frame having-a centrally positioned socket, a plate, a base frame, rollers carried on the upperside of said plate, a centrally positioned rod depending from said plate terminating in a ball seating in said socket for limited universal movement of said plate, said socket rigidly mounted to a supporting frame, a separating pan mounted for oscillatory movement on said rollers, means carried by said supporting frame for imparting oscillatory movement tosaid pan, means carried by said frame for imparting intermittent pivoted movement about a horizontal axis to said plate and hence said pan, said means. for imparting oscillatory movement to said pan comprising lever means depending from said pan, a disc rotatably mounted on said frame, a crank pin on said disc, 2. connection between said crank pin and said lever arms, said means for imparting intermittent pivotal movement to said plate comprising a rotatable shaft on said frame, cam discs carried by said shaft engaging the underside of said plate, a coil spring extending from the underside of said plate to said base frame biasing said plate against said cam discs, a supply chute carried by said plate for movement therewith, said plate normally being positioned on an incline, a housing surrounding the lower tilted side of said pan, said housing being provided with an outlet, means for supplying water to said chute and said pan, a common motor means for driving said rotatably mounted disc and said shaft, and means for controlling the speed of said rotatably mounted disc and said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 716,017 Faul Dec. 16, 1902 764,197 Muhleman July 5, 1904 987,866 Earle Mar. 28, 1911 1,638,864 Mathe et a1. Aug. 16, 1927 

